There are as many different approaches to memory keeping as there are memory keepers. We celebrate every approach and believe that whatever approach gets your stories told and your memories preserved is the best! For some that means pictures and pocket cards tucked into an Everyday Life™ album; for others it means putting together a pre-cut Cut Above® layout; for others, memory keeping also doubles as an artistic outlet incorporating different crafting techniques on a 12″ x 12″ paper canvas. Deluxe scrapbooking workshops provide this kind of creative experience for anyone who wants to add a little more “oomph” to the pages of their scrapbook.

Our Holiday Expressions idea book introduced the first two deluxe scrapbooking workshops, which featured the Boutique and ‘Tis the Season collection. Earlier this month we released a third workshop featuring the Hello Pumpkin papers used in decidedly non-Halloween artwork. Here, see for yourself:

As you can see, this workshop guides you in the creation of two 2-page scrapbook layouts and two single-page scrapbook layouts, all in the 12″ x 12″ size. Each layout is made using a few papercrafting techniques, such as folding, angled cuts, and creative use of Thin Cuts dies to achieve unique effects. Take this scrapbook page, for example:

There’s a lot happening on this page, but we’d like to draw your attention primarily to the circle and heart right in the center of the page. Here’s a quick look at the technique that went into creating this accent.

Starting with a 2¾” square of Peach cardstock, we used the 2¼” stitched circle die to cut only half of a circle. The trick to only cutting half of a shape is all about how you feed the die through your machine. As you can see in the photo above, only part of the circle is sandwiched between the plates, resulting in a partial cut like this:

Thanks to our beautiful two-toned cardstock, when you fold back the cut part, you get a lightly contrasting color. We then layered this piece over a piece of Ballerina cardstock to add another shade and topped it off with the adorable heart sticker. Neat, right? And that technique is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our deluxe scrapbooking. Take a closer look at the other layouts you’ll make as part of this workshop:

The helpful instructions that accompany the workshop show you how to replicate each technique, guiding you step-by-step through the creative process. If you’d like to try something new for your memory keeping, we invite you to check out the Hello Pumpkin Deluxe Scrapbooking Workshop, and see what deluxe scrapbooking is all about!

With how easily accessible cameras are to us these days, we have been trained over the years to take photos of absolutely everything we experience. From an outing with friends last weekend to the coffee you picked up this morning, we are certain you have photos that you love but aren’t quite sure what to do with. You may have posted some of these on a social media channel and received a bazillion likes, but now that the moment is over you would like to preserve these memories somewhere more permanent. As one of our blog readers you know we’re going to suggest to you that scrapbooking is the answer. (And it is!) But, how do we scrapbook and journal about a cup of coffee?

Today we’re sharing a journaling style that allows us to talk about pretty much any topic under the sun that is based on The Important Book written by Margaret Wise Brown. In her book, the author dedicates a two-page spread to individual common, everyday things—like the sky, an apple, grass, and rain. On one page is an illustration of the subject and on the opposite page is a short passage describing it, starting and ending with what she considers is the most important attribute:

The important thingabout a spoon isthat you eat with it.It’s like a little shovel,You hold it in your hand,You can put it in your mouth,It isn’t flat,It’s hollow,And it spoons things up.But the important thingabout a spoon isthat you eat with it.

Brown made talking about a spoon easy and interesting. If we apply the same principles used to describe this otherwise seemingly mundane subject in our journaling, the occasion will be rare, if at all, where we will be truly stuck with nothing to say.

So, how do we do it? We put together a handy worksheet to help us get started.

First, what is your topic? Write it down. Then, write down as many words and thoughts as you can think of that describe this topic. Your words, your thoughts—this is your story. Next, from all of these things you just wrote down, what stands out to you as the most important? This attribute is how you will start and finish your journaling passage. Use all the other information and details to fill in the middle.

When you are first starting to use this journaling method, stick to the formula on our worksheet to avoid any problems or confusion. As you get more familiar with this way of journaling, then start changing some of the words up (but not the order!).

Here’s a scrapbook layout about our cup of Joe:

The first and last lines in the journaling are the same thought, “The important thing about coffee is how it creates small moments of joy.” All of the in between stuff is insightful into how our friend in the layout feels about coffee, however, there is no question as to why it means all of those things to her. She let’s us know what the important thing about coffee is as she starts to write about it and then circles back to remind us as she closes her remarks.

To help highlight the unique things that are important to you, we paired this journaling model with a 6″ x 8″ album and designed The Important Things Everyday Life™ workshop. (Getting a copy of The Important Book itself, though recommended, is completely optional.)

Each of the eight layouts can feature something that is uniquely important to you, with a large open space on one page for your journaling and the facing page created to add photos illustrating whatever topic you choose to document.

Take a look at these other completed examples from The Important Things album and see how the important thing journaling style is applied to each subject.

The important thing about cookies:

The important thing about friends:

The important thing about my dog, Sophie:

The important thing about rain:

The generic theme of this album and the bright colors and patterns of the Perfectly Imperfect Picture My Life™ cards make this a versatile project to make for yourself, present as a gift, or both!

But, the important thing about memory keeping is preserving our stories.

We are so excited to have the talented Amy Robison as a guest blogger today! Not only is she a contributing artist for Silhouette, but is also somewhat of an expert at designing children’s themed parties, gifts, and crafts. Don’t take our word for it, see for yourself!

Hey! Amy Robison here! I’m so excited to share a fun party I created this week with the Shaker Windows & Confetti Thin Cuts, loose sequins, and Hello Pumpkin collection. If you follow me on Instagram stories then you already know that I am obsessed with the shaker windows after trying them out this week. I want to use them on everything! I already have a million ideas for Christmas. I’m getting a little ahead of myself, so I’ll calm down and focus on the party I’m sharing today— a slime making party. If you’re like me, then you hate this slime craze that has been going on for a few years. (It’s the worst!) Who started this? haha! My kids still love it though, so I decided that I just have to embrace it occasionally. Plus, how perfect is it for a Halloween party?

I started out by designing a few characters I could use with the shaker windows that would be festive for the holiday. I’m loving their simplicity and how they turned out. Once they were all designed, I added the shaker windows to each one. If you haven’t used the shaker windows before, I included a simple tutorial. They are a piece of cake and you’ll absolutely love them!

Shake Window Tutorial

Step 1: Remove the outer foam ring leaving the middle square foam adhesive to use for other projects. (Such a genius design so all that empty space isn’t wasted.)

Step 2: Place the foam shaker window ring on your project. It is very sticky, so you know it will stay right where you put it!

Step 3: Fill with sequins, glitter, sprinkles or any other fun media. This loose sequins mix is so beautiful! I can’t get enough of it, and it’s available in gold too!

Step 4: Remove the protective paper on the ring to reveal the adhesive.

Step 5: Peel the protective film off of the acetate circle. Use washy tape to help peel it off. This was a little tip I learned from the Close to my Heart creative team. Such a huge help!

Step 6: Place the acetate sheet on top. Press down to make sure everything is sealed in place.

Step 7: Using the Shaker Window Thin Cuts, cut out the finishing border in your choice of coordinating paper.

Step 8: Glue the border on top to finish.

Step 9: I taped a sucker stick to the back so that I could place them in my kits. These would be cute in gift baskets, too, as a tag to the recipient.

Once I finished all the shaker window characters, I gathered the supplies for the slime kits. I used the Hello Pumpkin collection to wrap and embellish the supplies and containers to make them look more cohesive and “pretty” everything up a bit.

Each kit has everything needed to make slime including fun sequins to mix inside to make it extra special. I love making each guest feel important and special. My guests are usually small children and I love the look on their faces when they see what is waiting on the table just for them. It’s the best and keeps me doing all these crazy parties.

Have you used the shaker windows before? Hopefully I have sparked some ideas of fun new ways you can use them in your next project.

Thank you Amy for all of your creative ideas! Please show our new friend some love in the comments below!

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It’s finally October, and you know what that means—Halloween will be here before we know it! And what better way to capture the fun of this delightful holiday than with the light-hearted Hello Pumpkin collection! Just take a peek at these scrapbook layouts to see the brighter side of this spooky night.

In addition to the overflowing assortment of bright colors, there is so much dimension found on every single page of these layouts! Photos are matted and framed with cardstock, glitter paper, and pocket cards. Some photos are layered with stickers. Complements are stacked, customized, and mixed with acrylic shapes. The magic is in the details!

And since everyone knows that Halloween is all about the goodies, take a look at these irresistible treat wrappers that you can make with this same collection:

The trick to making these treats is to start them out flat; add stickers and stamped icons to your heart’s content and then wrap them around something tasty. Can you think of anyone who wouldn’t want one of these “too-cute-to-be-scary” treat bags?

For a complete list of materials, cutting diagrams, and assembly instructions for all of these projects, contact your Close To My Heart Consultant. If you don’t have one, let us help you find one! Simply click here, go to the What We Do menu and select Find a Consultant.

These Hello Pumpkin Halloween goodies are guaranteed to bring an extra touch of sweetness to your holiday celebrations!

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Jeanette Lynton

Meet Jeanette Lynton—wife, mother, artist, and Founder & CEO of one of the world’s leading companies in the papercrafting industry. This blog is dedicated to all who share her love of creativity. Visit often, share your stories, and become family!

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